


Book 1: Mistral

by AndThenItRains247



Series: Brave Frontier: Lotus Chronicles [1]
Category: Brave Frontier
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-11 00:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15303549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndThenItRains247/pseuds/AndThenItRains247
Summary: "This had better be worth the trip."A warrior of Elgaia receives the call to become a Summoner and is immediately thrust into a conflict between the gods of Grand Gaia bordering on all-out-war. With allies old and new, this Summoner will travel this strange land defeating enemies of the god Lucius...or die trying.Also posted on Wattpad under the same username





	1. Prologue

At long last, the chaos had subsided. All was quiet. To think, that hours ago, the mass confusion that came with the sudden attack had made the town more alive than it ever has in a most horrific way.

A woman with long red hair and white armor, battered and bruised, appeared before an abandoned house and trudged slowly towards its door. She needed to conserve as much energy as possible, and if it meant refusing to heal her wounds, then so be it. Flecks of red light ebbed from deep, glowing cuts like embers from a fire. She opened the door and entered the house.

Now dark and empty, the house that should have been long-familiar to her seemed like a foreign land. Hours ago, the place was so full of light and life from the people inside it, the woman herself included. The stairs to the second floor were very near the front door. Step by step, the woman ascended. More flecks of red light rose from her being and disappeared.

The woman entered a certain room. Toys were littered about the floor between a small couch and a glowing white dome protecting a crib, which disappeared as soon as the woman touched it. She reached into the crib and lifted up a small bundle, gently cradling the still-sleeping infant with practiced hands. She placed one hand on the child’s chest and mouthed a few words. The child briefly glowed with white light as the red flecks of light from the woman ceased. She looked at the baby for a moment before tears began to fall.

“I’m sorry.” The woman whispered as she sobbed softly, holding the infant close to her. “I’m so sorry.”


	2. Calling

The Raid Office was often a busy place, whether it be from Demon Slayers going through missions or people just wanting to get a good meal. After all, it may be called an office, but the place was built very much like a tavern. Aside from the stone floor, the whole building was made of wood. Large, round tables seated with various customers were scattered about the area. The bar had a large menu hanging over it and doubled as the counter that dealt with Raid Quests, which had become more frequent as of late due to an increased number of demon sightings around both Elgaia and Grand Gaia; more than there were Demon Slayers to effectively handle. Because of that, the Regular Army had been called to assist in taking Elgaia-based missions with its own members who sought to prove themselves. This is the tale of one such member, a rising star with little idea of what fate had in store for the future.

Behind the counter, a pink-haired woman shuffled through a pile of requests that had just come in.  
“Here you go, sir!” She said to an armored man with wavy blond hair.  
“Thanks, Elise!” The man replied and looked at the paper. “Oh. A Meru-Meru.” He winced.  
“Is something wrong?”  
“It’s just that their main attacks don’t sit right with me. My Affinity’s Thunder, you see.” He looked up and gave a confident smile. “But, at least I’ve got a buddy who can burn ‘em good!”  
“That’s good to hear! You and your team take care now!” Elise said as she bade them farewell. She looked back down at the pile. “Let’s see here…” As her eyes scanned the next request, her eyes widened and almost dropped the stack. Elise frantically looked around the tavern before her eyes fell upon a lone, hooded figure in a white cloak sitting at the very end of the bar with an empty plate. Abandoning all but the one request, she rushed over.

“Ren! Oh, thank goodness you’re here today!” She said to the figure. “We’re in big trouble! I just got a request about the appearance of a really powerful demon called a Reduhark on Mt. Ziland!” She looked down at the paper and began to read. “Right now, it seems to be taking it easy, but we have no idea when it might strike. At this rate, the damage it causes could spread as far as the other regions.” She looked up at the figure, Ren, again. “It’s an extremely dangerous demon, so I was looking for Demon Slayers who could take the request, but it seems like there aren’t any available. So, Ren, this request comes directly from me! Please, find a way to slay the Reduhark! I know how dangerous it is for me to ask a member of the Regular Army like you for help, but, given what you’ve accomplished so far, surely you can…”  
“...Not ask some weakling to take that request. You’ve gotten soft, Elise.” Came a stern voice from behind them. Elise looked behind the cloaked figure. Leaning on a wall with his arms crossed was a man with ponytailed silver hair clad in metallic purple armor. A similarly-colored lance and shield were on the floor next to him.  
“N-Noah?” Ren turned slightly to see brown eyes glaring back with disdain.  
“Do you honestly think a Regular Army member like this guy stands a chance against a Reduhark?” Noah asked Elise, gesturing to Ren.  
“But, aren’t you in the Regular Army, too?” Elise responded.  
“Wherever I go and what I do is my own business. And you of all people should know by now that I’m not like other Regular Army members. I’ll be the one to take it down.”  
“Really?” Elise said, magenta eyes lighting up. “I’d owe you one! So, work together with Ren here…”  
“No way!” Noah vehemently denied. “How can I maneuver with him getting in my way? I should be fine on my own for a mission at this level!” He picked up his weapons and stormed off.  
“Noah…” Elise sighed. She turned to Ren. “Ren, please go after Reduhark! Noah may be a powerful Summoner, but that doesn’t mean he can take the Reduhark on his own! Please, find a way to defeat that demon, I beg you.”

All Elise received for a response was an annoyed huff, coins slamming on the table, and a bit of shuffling as Ren headed out after Noah.  
_Lin..._ Elise thought as she watched Ren enter a room known to house teleporters. _I don’t think we’ve been talking about the same person. The Ren you described and the Ren I’ve met are completely different from each other..._

The teleporter was on and the location was set. All that was left was to step through the portal that formed.

  
Ren looked around after crossing through to find the forest encampment that was growing ever so slightly more familiar, but no sign of that man Elise called Noah. Ren was no stranger to Mt. Ziland, having been in the area once before to track down one of the boar-like Edelma demons, and gladly welcomed the slightly warmer climate. Mt. Ziland, Ren knew, was an active volcano among a range of other active volcanoes. Although, the lava never so much as touched the area Ren was currently in. The ground trembled, signaling an eruption in the very near future. Ren found it best to follow the stone path leading out of the forest.  
Outside the forest, the stone path diverged in three directions. The path on the right disappeared into another section of the forest filled with dying trees, probably due to having slightly more exposure to heat. The center lead straight into what appeared to be an ocean of lava in the horizon. The left path lead to a gushing lava waterfall and spiraled up the rock tower right next to it.  
Ren pulled out a corked glass bottle filled with a reddish-brown liquid and held it up to the sunlight. Immediately, the light reflected off the small golden orb suspended in the fluid. The orb seemed to scan Ren’s field of vision as a bronze wave of light swept the area. After a few rounds, the bronze wave stopped all the way left and condensed into a beam that pointed up the rocky spire.

_Up there, huh?_

Ren reached the top to find to find the black-feathered demon with its back turned. From sheathes bound at the hip, Ren quietly took out two swords and crept behind a boulder. The Reduhark had yet to take notice. This was a prime opportunity. Tightly gripping both katanas, Ren slashed the winged demon from behind. It let out a piercing shriek.

  
Noah saw the Reduhark lurch forward, then turn towards its new attacker. He saw the same white-cloaked figure from the Raid Office; the one Elise called “Ren”.  
“What are you doing here?” He yelled at him. “I said I would handle this mission myself!” He saw no response from Ren.  
“Sir Noah? Perhaps you should heed Ms. Vedel’s suggestion about working together with this person.” Said a man next to him who wielded a large spear in each hand.  
“I already told her back in the office, Raydn! He’s just going to get in my way!” Raydn sighed.  
“Very well, Sir Noah.”

  
Ruby red eyes were now trained on Ren. The Reduhark attacked with one of its massive golden claws charged with Dark magic. Ren dodged, then jumped onto the claw, using it as a platform to jump at its head and attack again, this time with glowing swords radiating white light. The Reduhark swiped at Ren with its other claw, knocking her to the ground. While it was preoccupied with Ren, Noah stabbed it in the back. Ren recovered and attacked it wildly. Reduhark quickly moved away from the two and roared. The demon glowed with a sinister purple aura and flapped its wings. Noah put up his shield against the oncoming winds, Raydn joining him. Ren attempted to charge the demon and was subsequently blown back into a large rock.  
“You idiot!” Noah yelled. The high winds died down. “Raydn, now!” The Unit raised his spears as torrents of water swirled around them.  
“Atlantis!” Raydn thrust both spears forward, sending both torrents spiraling towards the Reduhark. Summoner and Unit closed the distance between them and the demon. Ice and water encased Noah’s lance.  
“Linear Frost!” He jabbed the stunned Reduhark a number of times, each wound left behind freezing over.

  
Ren shook off that last attack. She saw Reduhark looking worse for wear. She retrieved her swords and broke into a run.  
With a swipe of its claw, the Reduhark knocked Noah and Raydn back as they were about to attack again. It advanced on them. They readied their weapons. As it was about to unleash another attack, it stopped dead in its tracks. Noah looked down and saw two glowing blades poking out of its chest area. The blades moved out in opposite directions. The Reduhark fell to the ground dead, revealing Ren behind it. He sheathed his swords, grabbed a fistful of feathers, and made his way back to the teleporter.

“Oh, Ren! Welcome back!” Elise greeted back in the Raid Office. She grinned in anticipation. “You defeated the Reduhark, didn’t you?” Ren nodded. “Great job!” She reached under the counter. “You know, I was a little worried about sending you on this mission, since they’re generally stronger than the other demons you’ve faced, but still, thank you so much!” She handed Ren a small sack. “Here’s your reward: three gems and a Sphere Frog-” She trailed off when she saw Noah coming up behind Ren, looking angry.  
“You.” He called out. Ren turned his head slightly towards him. “You just got lucky back there. If you don’t have the ability to take on these missions, then you’re better off stopping here. That way, you won’t end up throwing your life away.” He looked up. “Elise.”  
“Y-Yes?”  
“Next time, don’t have me go after some weak demon. Give me something that’ll show just how powerful I really am. Got it?”  
“Okay…” Noah left the Office. She sighed. “Noah…”  
Elise heard a scoff from Ren. “Ren, I’m really sorry things got awkward. And you worked so hard to defeat that Reduhark, too. But, cheer up! You’ve definitely proven your strength, so I’ll have some harder missions for you next time!” Ren looked at her for a moment, making Elise feel a bit awkward. “Er, well, k-keep doing your best out there!” She looked at Ren uneasily as the hooded fighter exited the building and sighed again.

For a second, Ren could’ve sworn someone called out her name and stopped in the middle of the snowy, busy street.  
_Come...to my Gate…I have been awaiting your arrival…_  
Ren held her head in her hand. _I thought that these would…Wait, Gate? Like, Lucius’ Gate? And he’s calling me? What the hell does Lucius want with someone like me?_   She grimaced under her hood. _Great. Let’s go see what he wants._ She turned and walked in the opposite direction she was headed.

_This’d better be worth the trip._

_“Here are the people I believe will be able to handle minor Demon Slayer missions, Elder.” A man in a military uniform said to a bearded old man behind a desk._  
_“Thank you, Akatsuki.” The old man looked through the papers, stopping on one in particular. “Ah. I recognize this name. This is the one you often complain about.” Akatsuki removed his cap, ran a hand through his fading red hair and sighed._  
_“That one’s nothing but trouble, but passes physical exams with flying colors. Gets the job done fast, too. Your request was the only way I could think of to curb all that energy, even though the delinquent can’t use Summoning. There should be a few others in there who are all skilled fighters without Summoning and far more disciplined than-” The Elder chuckled._  
_“I assure you, Makoto, we will take care of all your soldiers, including your little maverick here.”_


	3. Grand Gaia

Thank the Gods (and the Research Department) for teleporters. It was certainly better than having to trek through Randall Capital City and then some to reach the Village of the Venturer, the hub for any Summoner out making preparations for a mission. The area was vast enough to have supply shops and dormitories to provide for an abundance of Summoners. There was a large mine and an equally large forest nearby---kept green despite it being autumn this time of year through a strange form of energy called Karma---to harvest crafting materials for consumables, as well as a river that ran the length of the main road and a modest farm located near its end. The ends of the road were adorned with a bronze, square arch: one to greet Summoners just coming in from the teleporter and one facing Lucius’ Gate in the distance, also having a teleporter nearby.

Ren would know where everything was a lot better if she didn’t come here so infrequently. Oh well. At least with all the signs everywhere, the area shouldn’t be too hard to navigate. Hopefully.

Ren noticed there weren’t as many people as she expected walking around in the mid-afternoon.

_Ok, so the building I just walked past is for Sphere crafting. Red roof. Not blue. Is anything even in there? Looks abandoned. Same goes for that small green-roofed building. No, not the one coming up, that’s for making potions. The empty kiosk-looking thing in front of that forest. Should I still drop by the Synthesis shop? I still have Cure potions left over from my earlier mission--_

She hit something hard and recoiled. “Watch where--”

“Oh, I’m sor--” The man turned around. “Ren?”

“Karl?”

“What brings you here?”  The blue-haired man asked.

“I’m here ‘cause I got called by Lucius. Y’know, to cross the Gate. Become a Summoner like you.” Ren rubbed the back of her neck. Blue eyes went wide.

“Seriously?! Ren, do you realize how exciting this is? Once you become a Summoner, they’ll start giving you missions in Grand Gaia. You’ll be able to move around a lot more.”

“The missions I’ve been getting from the Raid Office have been kinda easy for me.” Ren mused.

“Have they? See, with your strength, you’ll be famous throughout the Hall in no time! But, remember from now on, you’re going to have Units by your side.”

 _Oh, right. Units._ Ren inwardly grimaced. Truthfully, she wasn’t fond of that aspect of being a Summoner, even though it was the most distinguishing aspect of being a Summoner: the ability to call forth the souls of legendary heroes and creatures only read about in books to aid one in battle. And Ren never claimed to be much of a people-person. People she’s encountered don’t usually turn out to be Ren-people, anyway. Karl Walker here was one of her only friends, and that was because they’ve stuck by each other since childhood.

“Hey, I’m sure you’ll summon Units you’ll get along with.” Karl said, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I’ve summoned some Units before who don’t exactly take a liking to me.” He gave an awkward chuckle. “Anyway, I still have some preparations to make before I head out. What about you?”

“No, I’m good. Thanks, though.”

“You sure? This road you’re about to take isn’t an easy one.”

“Yes, Karl.” She showed him the contents of her supply bag. He spotted several bottles of Cure, Holy Water, and Stimulant potions.

“Alright. Well, if the Elder Summoners had enough faith in you to give you minor Demon Slayer missions, they’re about to have even more after today. Have a safe trip and I’ll see you later, buddy!” He walked towards the Synthesis building.

“Yeah, see ya.” She walked on ahead.

“Hey, try not to get yourself killed out there!” She heard him call after her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” She said, looking back at him, then headed towards the teleporter to the Gate.

 

She heard Lucius’ Gate was huge, but _this?_ Up close, this thing was twice the size of the castle the Imperial Family lived in, maybe even more so! It was very ornately designed (after all, a powerful god was its creator) and glowed a pale yellow. Ren approached it and took a deep breath. Her heart still hammered in her chest. _Well. Let’s see what this god wants with someone like me._ She pressed her hand to it and the doors slowly opened. The other side looked like a wall of white light. As she stepped through, Ren’s world went black.

 

    The Gate opened, and Tilith saw someone dressed in white fall face-first in the grass. As she made it to the unconscious person, it closed. She rolled them over, hood obscuring both hair and eyes.

 _This must be them._ “Hey, wake up!” She gently shook the figure.

“Sh-Shut up….” They groaned and lamely swatted their hand.

“C’mon, Ren, wake up already!” She shook them a little harder. Ren suddenly bolted awake, quickly sat up, and looked around.

 _Where the hell am I?_ All Ren saw before her was a vast, lush, green prairie littered with wildflowers. The sun shone bright and warm against the cloudless sky. A pleasant breeze waved through the grass. Ren felt a bit overdressed. The thicker clothes under her armor were meant for autumn and winter weather, not spring.

“Ren...Crux?” She heard behind her. Ren looked behind her and saw a girl with bright blue eyes in a spring-green and white dress kneeling before her. Ren quickly backed away and got ready to attack.

“Who are you?” She demanded. The girl waved her hands in front of her.

“D-Don’t attack me! My name’s Tilith. I’m a goddess. Lord Lucius sent me to be your guide through Grand Gaia.” Ren briskly walked right past her.

“Don’t need one.” She said curtly.

“But Lord Lucius told me you’ve never been here before!” She called after Ren and followed her.

“So?”

“You don’t know where He wants you to go or what to do!”

“Your point?” _Something about ‘bringing peace to this land’. Whatever. Probably just wants me to fight the biggest, baddest thing here or something._

“At least let me come with you?”

“Do whatever you want.”

Tilith awkwardly walked beside the hooded newcomer, glancing at them every now and again. The Summoner kept looking ahead. She noticed that Ren was about as tall as she was, maybe just a little taller. _What do they look like under that hood?_ She wondered. _Are they a boy? A girl? Lord Lucius never said anything about what they were. He just told me their name, and that they were a Summoner who had never been to Grand Gaia._

“This place is pretty different from where you’re from, isn’t it?” Tilith began. “Humans used to live here a long, long time ago. But now, all that remains is their spirits.  Mysterious beasts, demons, and even gods like Lord Lucius are here, too, so this place is actually pretty dangerous.” Ren gave her no response. Tilith shifted uncomfortably. “Er, you’re probably still wondering why you’ve been called through the Gate. Well, I--we need you to--Eek! W-What’s that?” Tilith shrieked. She frantically clung to Ren and hid behind them.  

“Hey!” Ren barked. She saw a small light green blob with eyes with a bush of dark green hair bouncing towards them. It looked to be about the size of a small dog. _It’s just a Mossy. This “goddess” is scared of these things? Great._ Ren shook Tilith off and advanced towards the monster.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to summon any Units?” Tilith asked.

“Don’t need any.” Ren responded curtly. She stood in front of the Mossy and stared at it. It tried to bite her ankle. She kicked it away and stabbed it, killing it instantly. The Mossy corpse melted into a puddle of green goo.

“Ren! There’s more of them!” Tilith cried. Ren looked up and saw a handful of different-colored monsters similar to the Mossy advancing towards them, and they looked angry.

“Hey, you.” She said to Tilith. “Get behind me.” Tilith obeyed. Ren cut through the Burnies, Squirties, Mossies, and Sparkies that launched themselves at her, but as more joined the fray, one handful became two, two became four, and suddenly Ren found herself defending Tilith from an army of Slime-type demons with both swords in her hand. There were even larger versions, “King” versions, of them amongst the crowd. _You’ve gotta be kidding me._

Ren grimaced. Between running away from the hoard and fighting off any that came too close, this whole ordeal wore at her. Both her and Tilith’s white clothes were stained with colorful Slime remains. It seemed like there was no end to them.

“Ren? Why don’t you summon some Units? I’m sure they can help with this.” Tilith suggested.

“I told you. Don’t need any.” Ren said as she cut down several more Slimes.

“You know, I’m beginning to think you don’t know how summoning works.”

“Of course I do. I just _don’t want to do it._ ”

“Why not?” Ren gave no response. “Is it because you can’t? All you have to do is concentrate.” Ren brutally slashed a King Burny, sending it into a field of smaller Slimes. _Easy for you to say._ “No, that doesn’t make sense. Lord Lucius wouldn’t have sent me to you if you couldn’t, much less even speak to you unless He was going to give you the power. If you thought you couldn’t before, why not try now now that He’s spoken to you?” Ren looked back at her.

“I…” _She might be onto something. Having another set of hands would make this go quicker._ Ren took a few final swings, sending shockwaves of Light into the Slime army. “Okay.” _Here goes nothing._ She dropped her swords, took a deep breath, and recited the incantation: “Ancient spirit of eras past, I reach across the bounds of life and death to request thine aid. Now, appear before me!” The burst of light that erupted from the glyph that had appeared on the ground knocked her to the ground. It was then she heard an unfamiliar man’s voice.

“So you’re calling on me, eh? Alright then, I’ll fight for you. Just don’t mess with my blade.”       

 


	4. Heat

While Ren recited the initial summoning incantation, Tilith noticed their eyes glow from underneath their hood for a moment before the light from the summoning glyph knocked her off her feet. As she was recovering, she noticed an armored man with spiky red hair and a large sword offering Ren a hand they did not take, and that Ren’s hood had fallen off while they were sitting up, revealing short, messy, black hair and piercing silver eyes. They had a pretty boyish look to them. _Oh, so that’s what...he looks like._ Tilith guessed.

    “The name’s Vargas! I’m the Agni Empire’s greatest swordsman!” The redhead introduced. He offered his hand again.

    “Ren.” The summoner replied, once again ignoring it. “Deal with these Slimes, then.”

“Slimes?” Vargas looked around and saw the large army around them. He grinned confidently. “Ha! Piece of cake! How’d you even piss off this many?”

“We’re not sure. They just started attacking us.” Tilith replied.

“Who’re you?”

“Me? I’m Tilith, Ren’s guide!” They heard Ren give a low, annoyed growl.

“Geez, is he always like that?” Vargas asked her. Tilith looked down.

“I don’t know. I only just met him, too. But, he protected me from all the Slimes! And there doesn’t seem to be an end to them.”

“Clear a path.” Ren ordered.

“Huh?”

“Straight through the Slimes, then run. Build up your Brave Burst.” Ren instructed Vargas.

“Oh! I can help!” Tilith chimed in. “I can give you guys enough energy to use them!” Ren raised an eyebrow.

“Couldn’t have done that earlier?”

“Well, I can’t be moving to fully concentrate on the spell, and all those Slimes kept flying at us, so…”

“Get behind me and Vargas, then.”

“Okay.”

The Slime Army recovered from their temporary blinding and set their sights on the new trio, flinging themselves at them with renewed fury. As Ren and Vargas stood their ground against wave after wave of Slimes, Tilith closed her eyes and concentrated. She felt her power well up from within her, made familiar from centuries of training.

“I’m ready!” She announced. She raised her arms. “Pretty Battle Kiss!” Light magic gathered in an orb between her arms, then burst in a sparkling shower over Ren and Vargas. A white glow surrounded Ren, and a red one, Vargas.

“Hell yeah!” Vargas cheered.

“Straight through their ranks.” Ren commanded, raising an arm towards the Slimes. Numerous spears made of Light magic appeared in front of them. “Piercing Stars.” With a flick of the wrist, the spears flew into the crowd, killing off the first several rows. “Now, Vargas!”

Vargas ran into the gap created by Ren, his summoner and Tilith close behind. Fire encased his sword. He swung it upward, letting loose a large wave of flame.

“Flare Ride!” The attack burned through the Slimes’ remaining ranks and a lot of the grass they stood on.

“Run!” Shouted Ren. Tilith was taken by complete surprise when he suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. Together, Ren and Vargas made sure the Slimes couldn’t reform their blockade, launching many Flare Rides and Piercing Stars their way.

The trio ran all the way to the end of the prairie and came to the mouth of a cave that radiated intense heat. Tilith wiped sweat off her brow and noticed Vargas had disappeared at some point. His summoner was on his hands and knees, panting. _All of that really took a lot out of him, huh?_ She knelt down beside him. “That was an intense fight, wasn’t it, Ren?” He nodded. “I was going to explain why Lord Lucius called you here, but then all those Slimes attacked. Hey, how about we meet here tomorrow morning in front of this cave, and I’ll tell you everything?”

“Okay.”

“Great! Wait, do you know how to get back home?” Ren looked up at her and stared. He shook his head. “Well, now that you’ve passed through the Gate and received the summoning power, you can call on it from just about anywhere in Grand Gaia! Try it out! Just focus on where you want to go first.” Ren stood up, extended his hand, and concentrated. A much smaller version of the massive Gate in the prairie appeared in front of him.

“It’s that easy, huh?”

“Yeah! So, go home and rest up. I’ll see you again tomorrow morning.”

“Right. Same time tomorrow.” Tilith watched Ren cross through the Gate. _He’s not such a bad guy after all. I want to know more about him. I hope he’ll let me. He doesn’t seem to like being around people._

 

The sun had already set by the time Ren returned to her apartment in Elgaia. _That Tilith girl’s...something._ She thought as she brushed her teeth. _Must’ve not spent a whole lot of time too far away from her master, if she freaked out at a Mossy. Probably just doing all this ‘cause she was ordered to. Still, she said she’d tell me why Lucius called me tomorrow. Guess that gives me a reason to come back._ Ren finished up in the bathroom, and collapsed onto her bed, sleep quickly claiming her.

 

The last thing Ren expected was a near-complete stranger suddenly yelling, “Hey! You’re finally awake!”, in her ear. Especially while she was busy cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast. Vargas was now sitting at the table holding ice to a spatula-shaped mark on his cheek. Ren slid a plate in front of him.

“Huh? Hey, I’m pretty sure Units don’t need to eat.”

“Still gives you strength?”

“Yeah.”

“Then eat.” Ren began digging in to her eggs. Vargas bit into a strip of bacon and gave a hum of approval. “What are you doing here? I didn’t summon you.” Ren said between mouthfuls.

“I’m the first Unit you’ve summoned on your own, right? That means I can already come here with my own power. Anyone else, you’re gonna have to work on.” He caught himself and furrowed his brow. “I guess all Units just know these things.”

“Why are you here, then?”

“Kinda wanted to know what kind of person my Summoner was. You didn’t really give a lot to go off of in Grand Gaia. So, I went ahead and explored your home.” Ren glared at him. “Hey, it’s a nice place! It’s clean. Pretty plain-looking, though. Besides, I’m gonna be hanging around here from now on, aren’t I? Might as well get used to the place.” Ren just resumed eating, as did Vargas when he received no actual response. They both finished breakfast a few minutes later.

“Hey, one more thing, Ren.” Vargas asked as she washed their plates. Ren looked at him. He rubbed the back of his neck. “How am I gonna put this? Um, what exactly are you? ‘Cause that Tilith girl thought you were a guy in Grand Gaia, but here, when I explored your place, your clothes hamper in the bathroom…”

“I’m female. Was born female, don’t mind having female parts. There you go.” Ren put the plates on the drying rack and started towards the door. “Tilith just mistook me for a boy. I’ll tell her if she ever asks. Speaking of, she still owes me an explanation about Lucius.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“And, um, sorry about the spatula.”

“Yeah, didn’t mean to scare you like that. Sorry.”

“I’ll summon you again when we’re in Grand Gaia.” Vargas nodded and faded in a flicker of red light.

 

Thief Leons burst out from hiding and attacked the unsuspecting Summoners in the Monster’s Nest.

“Captain! It’s an ambush!” Karl looked around.

“Damn it. They probably waited until morning for this. How many of them are there?”

“I don’t know, sir! But, I think we’re surrounded.”

“Start healing anyone who’s poisoned or seriously wounded.” In two flashes of blue light, a pirate captain with an axe and a swordsman with a blade of ice appeared beside him. “If you’re able-bodied, come with me.” Karl ordered his subordinates.“We’re going to clear this area, and then find the one who ordered this. There’s no way this many Thief Leons would just ambush us at dawn like this. If anything, it’s probably Graham again, so be on your guard.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Ma’am? What should we do?” Another Summoner asked a woman in red armor. She glared at him.

“What do you think? If Rebel Lance is gonna go out, then we have to stay and tend to the wounded. Who knows when those attackers will be back?”  

 

A tall armored woman with shaggy azure hair stormed into the training yard, same-colored eyes anxiously scanning the area. She turned back with a growl.

“Godsdammit! Where the hell is she?” She heard the faint tapping of a walking stick.

“I thought you disliked mornings, Zura.” Said an older man with dark green hair. “And must you be so loud? I’ve become quite accustomed to having four senses and I’d prefer not to lose another one.”

“It’s almost time for morning assembly. You have any idea where that maverick’s been the past two days, Hakim? She was supposed to help oversee the trainees.”

“I haven’t.” Zura gave an exasperated sigh.

“If she’s not here by the time they’ve finished breakfast, I’m gonna go find her.” You’ve probably got something else to do. Get, I don’t know, Monika or someone else to cover for the both of us. I’m sure she’ll get a good laugh out of all this.”

  



	5. Hot Water

_ I’m not forgetting anything, am I?  _ Ren thought, rummaging through her bag as she walked the village streets.  _ Ok. Replenished my Cures from yesterday. Didn’t need to fix any status ailments yesterday, either. So, no need to make any of those, though I could make some Antidotes just in case. _

A groan snapped her out of her thoughts. The source of the sound came from a nearby tree. A familiar blue-haired man sat against it. His eyes were shut, his face contorted with pain. Ren hurried over. “K-Karl? Hey, Karl, you alright?” He opened one eye slightly.

“Ren? You’re...back. How was...your trip?” He asked weakly.

“A l-lot better than yours, I’d say.” Ren responded, trying to keep her voice even. “Hang on, I think I’ve got--” She was cut off by a sudden “Out of the way!” A woman in red shoved her aside.

“Karl, are you alright? Oh Gods, you’re poisoned!”

“That you...Seria?” Karl asked her. “Looks like one of ‘em got me…” He gave a strained chuckle that escalated into a cough. Seria winced.

“At this rate…” She looked over at the person she pushed aside.  “Hey, you! Uh…” The Summoner looked up at her while rummaging through his bag.

“Ren.” Karl coughed out. “That’s Ren. An old friend.”

__ Fencer Vargas suddenly appeared behind Ren, startling him. “Alright, where are they? Let me at ‘em!” He yelled, brandishing his sword.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Ren growled. “I said I’d summon you in Grand Gaia.”

“You were distressed, so I came by myself again.”

Seria watched the Summoner and his Unit bicker. Apparently, the Summoner didn’t know that Partner Units and Units that have a particularly strong bond with their Summoner have empathetic links with them. They both calmed down and Vargas disappeared as his Summoner took off towards the Synthesis building. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, then ran after him.

Seria rushed into the Synthesis building and saw the boy already at one of the stations. He was heating up a bottle of blue liquid that was starting to turn turquoise with some green grass inside. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She yelled, storming over.

“Making an Antidote.” He responded monotonously.

“Like hell you are! You’re doing it all wrong!”

“No, I’m not. I’m just--”

“Yes, you are! Here, see?” She started making her own Antidote, placing a bottle of the blue liquid on the burner. She grabbed a mortar and pestle, dropped a purple nut into the bowl, ground it into a fine powder, and added it to her bottle. She looked over to see the boy copying her. He poured his powder into his solution, with the grass removed, and stirred. _ “ _ Godsdamned rookie.” Seria muttered. Ren looked over and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I’m talking to you. Can’t even make a basic Antidote. All it is is just a bottle of Blue Drops and a ground-up Don Nut. How the hell is that so hard?” Ren just capped his bottle and tried to explain himself. “You know what, just throw yours out later and give him this one. C’mon! We’re running out of time!” Seria said. She thrust her finished Antidote into his chest and pulled him out of the building. Seria failed to notice Ren switch the two bottles in his bag as she practically dragged him back to Karl.

Ren raised the bottle to Karl’s lips. After a few sips, he took the bottle from her and finished it off by himself. He was on his feet immediately.

“That was a pretty strong Antidote. Ren, did you make it?” He asked. Ren opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by Seria.

“This poor excuse of a Summoner wouldn’t know how to make an Antidote if it bit him in the ass! I had to show him how! And he doesn’t even know the basics about Units! That Fencer Vargas is definitely your first summon, isn’t it?”  Red and silver glares met each other.

“Hey, don’t be so harsh.” Karl cut in, trying to ease the tension. “Ren’s earned the favor of the Elder Summoners. Before you know it, Ren could master Summoning and surpass you.”

“Yeah right.” Seria scoffed. “Like he’s any match for me. He’s obviously way in over his head like all the other newbies. Anyway, are you gonna give the report, Karl?” He nodded. “I’m gonna head back out, then. See ya.” She started walking back towards the Gate, then stopped. “Oh, and Rookie? I better not see you butting into Demon Slayer business, got it?” Ren flipped her off behind her back as she was leaving.

“I made that Antidote by myself.” Ren told Karl. She walked back to the Synthesis building. He followed.

 

Elise held the newly-washed glass up to the light and inspected it. After deeming it spotless, she placed it with the rest of the clean dishware.

“Elise?” She heard someone say. She turned around to find a very annoyed-looking woman in metallic blue armor leaning on the counter.

“Oh, Ms. Fontaine! How can I help you?”

“I was wondering if you could help me find someone.”

 

“I boiled a bit of Green Grass in the Blue Drops like tea until turquoise. Then, I removed the Grass and added the Don Nut that I ground into a fine powder. I turned up the heat all the way, added a few Green Drops, and stirred until all the powder was gone.” Ren revealed, doing exactly that.

“I see. You used the properties of the Cure ingredients to make that Antidote as strong as it was.”

“You try.”

“Okay.” Karl began preparing a solution. “How’d you figure all this out?”

“I get a lot of free time between my missions and I got bored one day, so I tried experimenting in Randall. Apparently, it’s not something a lot of people know.”

“Huh.”

“Oh, by the way, the turning the heat up just makes the powder dissolve faster. But not too much, or it’ll explode.”

“That explains why it was made so quickly.” He said as he grinded at the Don Nut in a mortar and pestle. “You know, she wasn’t always like that.” Karl began.

“Who?”

“Seria.”

“Oh.”

“She used to be very kind and friendly. A lot of people really liked her. 

“Hard to believe.”

“She’s a Demon Slayer captain, like me. She’s the head of the 19th Squadron, Bloody Rose. It was such an amazing team back then.”

“Was?”

“Yeah. Remember the Algmos incident a few years ago? Seria and her squad were among the ones chosen to take down that demon. And on that squad was a rookie Summoner. You know as well as I do that even the smallest mistake on a raid can be fatal. And the small mistake that rookie made cost the lives of everyone on that squad except for hers. She blames herself for that incident and ever since then, she’s just hated rookies.” They were silent for a moment, until Ren spoke again.

“And? That’s why she was being such a bitch?” Karl rubbed the back of his neck.

“That’s...a way to put it.”

“What a load of bullshit.” 

“Ren,” He sighed, “I’m trying to help clear the air between you two, since it seems like you got off on the wrong foot.”

“What? You said she regrets putting someone that inexperienced in charge of whatever it was during something that crucial. That’s on her. That doesn’t mean ‘Go around and be shitty to everyone who’s got that same level of experience.’” She said matter-of-factly. “‘Specially when they’ve done nothing to deserve it.” Ren returned to finishing up her current potion. Karl’s expression softened a bit.

“I see. That’s why. But, still. How about, to make it even, I’ll tell her your story next I see her?” He offered. 

“Don’t bother.” Ren grumbled. “We’ve seen enough of each other. She’s not gonna change, no matter what I do or what she hears. No one ever does.”

“Ren…”

“How  _ did  _ you even get that poisoned, anyway?” Ren asked.

“Oh, yeah. About that, we got ambushed by a group of Thief Leons. I think the demon Graham set them on us. I used all my Antidotes on my team, then took a blow for one of my squadmates. They told me to hurry back to Elgaia while they cleaned up the place.”

“Sounds just like you.” Ren said with a smirk.  _ Always so selfless… _

“I think I’m just about done here.” Karl said. “I’m gonna head back and report to the Hall. And I assume you’re going back to Grand Gaia soon?” Ren nodded. “Alright, remember, don’t rush and, well, by now, you should have plenty of recovery items to take with you. I’ll see you later, Ren!”

“Bye, Karl.” She said as he exited the building.

 

Karl stepped through the teleporter, taking him back to Imperial Capital Randall. On his way out of the building, a tall, armored woman with short azure hair quickly brushed past him, muttering an apology along the way. He turned and watched her enter the teleporter he just exited.  _ I wonder why she’s in such a hurry.  _ He thought.  _ I haven’t gotten any alerts. Maybe she’s just late for a mission. Speaking of which, I’ve still got to report mine.  _ Karl resumed his walk to the Hall in the fair weather.

 

Ren exhausted her supply of Don Nuts making Antidotes. It’s not like she could use them for anything else at this point. She capped the last one, placed it in her bag, and exited the building. She looked around, wondering if she could go anywhere else to prepare for her journey. Deciding she ought to be set for a while, she headed off towards the Gate. Ren suddenly felt a firm hand on her shoulder and whirled around, catching the other person by the wrist.

“There you are.” Dark blue eyes frowned down at her. “Akatsuki wants to have a word with you.” Zura Fontaine said firmly.

“I didn’t do anything.” Ren growled. She let go of the woman, but the woman had grabbed on to her wrist instead.

“You sure didn’t do something. You were supposed to help train the recruits for a few days and you never showed up. Then Elise from the Raid office said she saw you take a step towards the city, only to stop, hold your head, then walk in the opposite direction, where the teleporter to the Village of the Venturer was. Went to check there, and called Akatsuki as soon as I saw you. He wants to see you in his office.” Neither of them moved.

“Well?” Ren asked impatiently.

“ _ I  _ won’t be taking us there.  _ You _ will.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda hope I portrayed Seria's initial attitude somewhat accurately


End file.
